Part 9/12:
While mining is often perceived as an endeavor exclusive to major players with vast resources, smaller miners can participate by joining mining pools. These pools allow multiple miners to combine their computing power, increasing their chances of successfully mining a block. Rewards are distributed based on each miner's contribution to the pool.
However, a common critique of Bitcoin mining is its perceived centralization, as large mining pools tend to dominate block creation. Nevertheless, most pools encompass thousands of individual miners who can shift their mining power if the pool deviates from the ideals of decentralization.